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Not that long ago you could buy a prepaid cell phone with cash, an unlocked cell phone with cash, and a sim card with cash, without having to show any ID, in the USA. As far as I know this is now impossible. Every store now requires ID when purchasing these things. Is there any way to obtain a cell phone that respects my privacy and therefore security in the US any longer? Are these rules about showing ID state-specific? I'm curious if anyone else has recent experience trying to do what used to be the norm. Obviously any sim card or phone tied to an id, credit card, etc., offers no privacy. Thanks!
takyon: People IRL and on IRC are telling me that no, you do not necessarily need an ID to obtain a prepaid cell phone. You might want to get it months in advance of doing anything with it so that store CCTV footage is erased, and you might want to put it in a faraday cage (several layers of foil can also be used) before it is anywhere near your house or primary identity-tracked phone(s). In fact, you could do that in the parking lot of the place you buy it. Here are some related stories:
How Two Escaped Killers Could Completely Disappear Off the Grid
Bill Aims to Identify U.S. Prepaid Cellular Users
Thailand Plans to Track All SIM Cards Sold in the Country
(Score: 4, Interesting) by BsAtHome on Friday February 03 2017, @08:48PM
Even a phone that has no name or ID associated can be tracked to its owner. If you use the phone in a normal matter, then the pattern of calls placed, to whom, for how long and from where, will be able to pinpoint you personally.
That is what meta-data is all about. That is why meta-data is more dangerous than the bloody obvious non-privacy regulations. Big data analysis on the meta-data will get to the target or, at least, very close to it. Don't believe me? Please read https://kieranhealy.org/blog/archives/2013/06/09/using-metadata-to-find-paul-revere/ [kieranhealy.org] and see what just a mere minimum of data reveals.
Welcome to the new world. Please wake up and become aware of where you are.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 03 2017, @08:50PM
Even if you can be found in other ways, compromising yourself from step one is self-defeating. People should resist in whatever ways they can, even if their resistance isn't perfect.